c/blacksmiths

33

sage52•1d ago

Serious question, does anyone actually use a power hammer for forge welding?

I've been forging for 8 years and always hand-hammered my welds, but last month I borrowed a 25lb power hammer from a buddy in Denver and the welds came out cleaner in half the time... couldn't get the heat to stay even with the machine though, ended up with cold shuts on two billets. Has anyone else had trouble switching from hand to power for welding, or is it just me?

0

emmafisher•2d ago

PSA: That bad week last August almost made me quit smithing for good

Had a run of three straight days where everything went wrong. First day I tried forge welding a billet and it delaminated on me three times. Second day I snapped my favorite rounding hammer handle on a cold morning. Third day a customer came to pick up a set of fireplace tools I spent 20 hours on and said they looked 'too rustic' and wanted a refund. That day I sat in the shop for an hour just staring at the anvil. Anyone else ever have a week that made you question if this trade is worth it?

2

the_fiona•3d ago

Coal vs gas forge debate: which one actually produces better steel? I got roasted for saying gas

I've been forging for about 8 years now, started on a hand-me-down coal forge my uncle gave me, then switched to a gas forge maybe 5 years ago because I got tired of dealing with clinkers and smoke. Lately I've been hearing old timers say coal forges give you way better control over the steel's carbon content, and that gas forges are just for hobbyists who don't know real blacksmithing. But in my experience, my gas forge has been way more consistent for heat treating knives and tools, I can dial in the temp way better. I've had a few sessions where the coal forge left hot spots that ruined a blade, costing me like $40 in steel each time. On the other hand, I see guys on YouTube getting amazing results with coal and saying gas makes steel brittle. So what do you all think, is coal actually superior or is it just nostalgia? Has anyone here tested both side by side on the same project?

35

thea246•4d ago

That forge weld that popped while I was quenching it in Austin

I was at my shop near the river and a billet I'd been building for 6 hours just split apart when I hit the water. Turns out I was rushing the heat and not letting it soak long enough in the fire. Has anyone else had a weld fail because they got impatient with the temperature?

19

diana_flores25•4d ago

After 3 tries I finally figured out why my forge welding kept failing on me

Switched from silica sand to borax for my flux last month and the difference was night and day, first weld stuck like it should have all along. Anyone else have a simple change that fixed a problem you'd been fighting for months?

5

walker.rowan•5d ago

I switched from a gas forge to a coal forge last fall and the control you get with coal is just on another level for making leaf springs into knives.

I was using a propane forge for about four years down in Austin and it was fine for basic stuff like hooks and fire pokers, but the moment I tried to heat treat a 1095 leaf spring for a buddy's hunting knife the gas forge just couldn't hold a steady temp zone, whereas with coal I can stack it hot in one spot and keep the other end cool as I go, has anyone else made the switch and noticed the same thing about even heat?

5

jade32•6d ago

Been told propane forges are lazy, but I switched from coal 6 months ago and my work got way more consistent

I learned on coal in a little shed behind my uncle's place in Ohio, and everyone online acts like propane is cheating. But after fighting with inconsistent heats and clinker for years, I grabbed a Devil Forge off Craigslist for $150. The first few weeks I felt guilty, like I wasn't really blacksmithing. But the truth is, I can hold an even temp for folding damascus now without babysitting the fire every 30 seconds. My welds are cleaner too because I'm not guessing if the heat is soaking through right. Has anyone else made the switch and felt that weird shame about it, or am I overthinking this whole purist thing?

5

bettyhunt•23d ago

That old forge at the county fairgrounds taught me something

I stopped by the Pioneer Days festival in Denton last weekend. They had this traveling blacksmith set up in a tent, working a coal forge from the 1800s. I watched him for 20 minutes and realized how much we overthink our gas forges and fancy burners. This guy just used a hand crank blower and scrap steel, and he made a set of hooks in 10 minutes flat. Has anyone else gotten more out of watching an old-school demo than a year of YouTube tutorials?

27

the_fiona•23d ago

Had a chat with a customer that made me rethink my heat treat process

So this guy comes in last week with a busted hammer he wanted me to fix, and he starts asking about my normalizing steps. I told him I usually just do two cycles, and he looked at me like I had three heads. He said he works with a guy up in Flagstaff who does three full cycles plus a stress relief after every major weld, even on small tools. I kinda blew it off at first, but then I thought about it later that night. I tried three cycles on a damaged farrier rasp I was turning into a knife, and the grain structure looked way more uniform on the break test. Now I'm wondering if I've been leaving toughness on the table for years with all my repair jobs. Any of you guys do extra normalizing cycles on stuff that's been banged up hard?

11

ruby_sanchez45•24d ago

Had one perfect week at the forge last June and it still sticks with me

I was working on a set of 3 gate hinges for a farm out near Ellensburg and everything just lined up. The coal was steady, the weather was cool, and I nailed the mortise and tenon joints on the first try for once. By Friday I had finished all the scrollwork without a single crack or warp. Have you ever had a stretch where the metal seemed to cooperate like that?

8

reese_perry6•28d ago

Visited a small forge in Tennessee last weekend and not a single smith there was using a power hammer

They were all doing striker work with a sledge and teamwork, made me wonder if we lean too hard on machines instead of learning the old methods has anyone else seen a shop like that?

13

the_claire•28d ago

Vent: Tried a gas forge finally and now I feel dumb for 3 years of charcoal

I finally broke down and bought a used propane forge from a guy off Craigslist last weekend. The heat control is night and day different - I can actually see my steel clearly and not guess at temperature by color in a smoky mess. Has anyone else switched late and felt silly about the time they wasted before?

16

jade271•29d ago

Just snapped my third hammer handle this month - power hammer vs hand forging on a bad anvil?

I was midway through a damascus billet at my shop in Austin when the hickory gave out and the head flew straight into my forge wall, so do you guys think I'm just hitting too hard or is my anvil base too soft?

12

henry101•29d ago

Coal vs propane for beginners: which one do you push?

I started on coal a year ago and couldn't get the fire even. Switched to a propane forge I built from a kit last month and my welding improved fast. Is it better to learn on coal for the skill or just skip to propane like I did?

26

simonw41•1mo ago

Spent 4 hours trying to forge a simple leaf hook and my anvil was the problem the whole time

I kept getting shitty results with my projects no matter what I tried, turns out my anvil face was warped by about 1/8 inch from years of abuse. Has anyone else wasted a ton of time tracking down a tool issue that was right in front of them?

26

christopher385•1mo ago

Spent 4 hours trying to get a good heat treat on a piece of coil spring

I was working with an old leaf spring from a pickup and couldn't figure out why it kept cracking. Turns out I was quenching it in the wrong oil, took me three ruined pieces to realize my canola oil was too thin. Anyone else have a specific oil that worked better for 5160 steel?

11

the_vera•1mo ago

Forge broke down on a Tuesday right before a big order

I was 20 minutes into a 50-knife batch for a local restaurant when my blower died, and I spent the whole day scrounging for a replacement. Has anyone else had a mid-project equipment failure throw off their whole week?

23

abby_king22•1mo ago

Saw a guy at a state fair demo fix a cracked anvil face with a weird welding trick

I was at the Iowa State Fair last month watching this old timer do a blacksmith demo. He had this cracked anvil and he used a torch to heat it up then hammered in a piece of tool steel, no fancy fillers. Has anyone tried that method or know what it's called?

13

skyler_kim15•1mo ago

Old timer told me to quench in warm water not cold, thought he was nuts

I was out at Rick's forge in Bakersfield last month and this old guy named Hank kept saying to use warm water for quenching. I laughed it off and stuck my blade in ice water like always. Ended up with stress cracks on the spine of a $150 chef knife. Next time I used 90 degree water from the tap and it worked perfect. Anyone else get advice from a crusty old smith that actually saved your hide?

3

the_piper•1mo ago

Why does nobody talk about how coal quality matters more than your forge design?

I spent 6 months fighting with inconsistent heat on a brand new Rivendale forge until a guy in Alabama told me to switch from low-grade bituminous to Pocahontas #3, and my welds came out clean on the first try - has anyone else noticed the difference with different coal sources?

11

skylerg17•1mo ago

Picked up a useful forge welding trick at a workshop in rural Pennsylvania

I visited a small blacksmithing workshop near Lancaster last Saturday. The old-timer running it showed me how he uses a thin coat of anhydrous borax mixed with a little water instead of the dry powder. He said it sticks better to the steel and keeps the flux from burning off too fast when you first put the billet in the fire. I tried it on a simple stack of three 1/4 inch mild steel pieces and got a solid weld on the first try. Usually I have to reheat and flux at least twice before it sticks. Has anyone else tried using wet flux or do you stick with the dry stuff?

15

bettyhunt•1mo ago

Talking to an old farrier made me rethink my anvil setup

Ran into a guy at a swap meet in Ohio last weekend who's been shoeing horses for 40 years. He looked at my anvil and just laughed. Said I had it sitting way too low and my hammer angle was off because of it. I thought I had it dialed in after 5 years of forging. He let me try his setup for 10 minutes and my hits felt so much cleaner. Has anyone else had a veteran call them out on something basic they thought they had figured out?

6

the_phoenix•1mo ago

Took me 3 years to realize I was quenching in the wrong oil the whole time

Was rehardening a chisel last week and wondered why it kept coming out soft, then my buddy pointed out I'd been using cooking oil from my kitchen instead of actual quench oil, has anyone else made that kind of mix-up with their gear?

34

christopher_west1•1mo ago

My favorite cross peen hammer handle snapped on a job in Detroit last Thursday

I was half way through drawing out a leaf spring into a knife blank when the hickory handle just gave out right at the eye. No warning cracks, no splintering before hand, just a clean snap on a forward swing. The head flew off and landed in a bucket of water 10 feet away, scared me half to death. I ended up having to borrow a spare from a buddy down the street to finish the job, but it threw off my whole rhythm. Has anyone else had good luck with ash handles over hickory for heavy striking work?

19

mia_lee•1mo ago

Talking to a woodworker friend made me see my own work differently

I was having a beer with my friend Mark, who does custom furniture. He was looking at a simple steel bracket I made and said, 'You know, I spend days getting a table leg to feel right in the hand, but you just make the thing that holds the table together.' It wasn't a dig, but it stuck with me. I realized I often think of my work as just functional parts, the hidden bones of a project. He sees his work as something people touch and see every day. It made me think about the few times I've made a fireplace tool or a door handle, where the feel matters just as much as the strength. Now I'm wondering if I should try more projects where the user's hand is part of the design. Do you ever think about that touch aspect in your forging?